Temperature sensors

ABSTRACT

A temperature sensor includes a sensor body and a wedge extension. The sensor body extends from a sensor base to an opposed sensor tip along a longitudinal axis. The sensor body has a leading edge and opposed trailing edge. The sensor body also has an interior flow passage with an inlet for fluid communication of fluid into the interior flow passage and an outlet for exhausting fluid out from the interior flow passage. The wedge extension is on the sensor body between the sensor tip and the sensor base on the leading edge of the sensor body.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/191,800, filed on Feb. 27, 2014, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/894,285, filed Oct. 22, 2013, bothof which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to temperature sensors, and moreparticularly to engine temperature sensors, such as those used inaerospace applications.

2. Description of Related Art

Modern jet powered aircraft require very accurate measurement of outsideair temperature for inputs to the air data computer, engine thrustmanagement computer, and other airborne systems. Traditional temperaturesensors are used at the inlets of gas turbine engines and/or within theengines. One ongoing challenge for temperature measurements isassociated with operation at higher Mach numbers. Compressibilityeffects occurring at higher Mach numbers can alter the desired flowpattern through traditional sensors, with potential reduction inresponse time, for example if there is reduced flow bathing the actualsensor element.

Another phenomenon, which also presents difficulties, is the effect ofhigh velocity foreign objects being ingested by the engine, e.g. ice.Traditional sensors can include provisions for heating the probe inorder to prevent ice formation during icing conditions. Anti-icingperformance is facilitated by heater elements embedded in the housingwalls. Unfortunately, external heating also heats the internal boundarylayers of air which, if not properly controlled, provides an extraneousheat source in the measurement of the temperature. This type of error,commonly referred to as deicing heater error (DHE), is difficult tocorrect for.

Such conventional methods and systems have generally been consideredsatisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is still a needin the art for systems and methods that allow for improved temperaturesensor performance, including improved time response at elevated Machnumbers and reduced DHE. The present disclosure provides a solution forthese problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A temperature sensor includes a sensor body and a wedge extension. Thesensor body extends from a sensor base to an opposed sensor tip along alongitudinal axis. The sensor body has a leading edge and opposedtrailing edge. The sensor body also has an interior flow passage with aninlet for fluid communication of fluid into the interior flow passageand an outlet for exhausting fluid out from the interior flow passage.The wedge extension is on the leading edge of the sensor body betweenthe sensor tip and the sensor base.

It is contemplated that the wedge extension can be configured toseparate the leading edge into separate portions to reduce the size ofice accumulation on the sensor body. The wedge extension can also beconfigured to increase a pressure differential between the inlet and theoutlet at high Mach numbers, e.g. 0.55 Mach or higher. The sensor bodycan have an airfoil shape. Further, the sensor body can include atemperature sensor disposed in the interior flow passage. The inlet canbe aft of the wedge extension on the tip of the sensor body.

The wedge extension can move the low pressure region farther aft towardthe trailing edge relative to respective forward low pressure regionsinboard and outboard of the wedge extension along the longitudinal axis.At least a portion of the outlet can be downstream of at least a portionof the wedge extension, relative to the leading edge and the trailingedge, proximate the low pressure region for increasing airflow from theinlet, through the interior flow passage, to the outlet. The outlet canalso include a plurality of outlets defined in the sensor body. At leasta portion of one of the plurality of outlets can be downstream of atleast a portion of the wedge extension with respect to the leading edgeand the trailing edge. The wedge extension can move the low pressure asdescribed above.

In accordance with certain embodiments, a sensor includes an airfoilbody extending from an airfoil base to an opposed airfoil tip along alongitudinal axis. The airfoil body includes a wedge extension integralto the airfoil body defined between the airfoil tip and the airfoilbase. The airfoil body and wedge extension define the leading edge ofthe airfoil body and the airfoil body defines a trailing edge opposed tothe leading edge. The airfoil body has an interior flow passage asdescribed above.

It is contemplated that the airfoil body can have a lower uninterruptedairfoil portion, a middle wedge portion, and a top uninterrupted airfoilportion. The middle wedge portion can be configured to alter airflowdownstream of the middle wedge portion, relative to the leading edge andthe trailing edge, and leave at least a portion of airflow downstream ofeach of the lower and top uninterrupted airfoil portions, relative tothe leading edge and the trailing edge, unaffected. The wedge extensioncan be configured as described above relative to ice accumulation andpressure differential at high Mach numbers.

These and other features of the systems and methods of the subjectdisclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the artfrom the following detailed description of the preferred embodimentstaken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosureappertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices andmethods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation,preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein belowwith reference to certain figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a temperaturesensor constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, showingthe sensor body and the wedge extension; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the temperature sensor of FIG. 1,schematically showing the air flow through the sensor body and showingthe temperature sensor within the interior flow passage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like referencenumerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subjectdisclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and notlimitation, a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of atemperature sensor in accordance with the disclosure is shown in FIG. 1and is designated generally by reference character 100. Otherembodiments of temperature sensors in accordance with the disclosure, oraspects thereof, are provided in FIG. 2, as will be described. Thesystems and methods described herein can be used for temperaturemeasurements, for example in aerospace applications.

As shown in FIG. 1, a temperature sensor 100 includes a sensor body 102,e.g. an airfoil. Sensor body 102 includes wedge extension 104 integralto sensor body 102 defined between a sensor tip 108 and sensor base 106.Sensor body 102 and wedge extension 104 define a leading edge 110 ofsensor body 102 and sensor body 102 defines a trailing edge 112 opposedto leading edge 110. Wedge extension 104 is configured to separateleading edge 110 into separate portions to reduce the size of iceformations accumulated on sensor body 102. Those skilled in the art willreadily appreciate that by reducing the size of ice formations, the sizeof the ice pieces ingested by an engine, for example, is also reduced,therein reducing damage to the engine due to large ice pieces. Inaddition, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that deicingheaters are not required on sensor body 102 to reduce ice accumulationbecause of wedge extension 104, therein eliminating deicing heater errorfor the temperature sensor 120, shown in FIG. 2, and reducing energycosts. In certain applications, however, it is contemplated that deicingheaters can be used.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, sensor body 102 has a loweruninterrupted sensor portion 103, e.g. a lower uninterrupted airfoilportion, a middle wedge portion 105, and a top uninterrupted sensorportion 107, e.g. a top uninterrupted airfoil portion. Wedge extension104 is configured to alter airflow, e.g. by moving the low pressureregion as describe below, downstream of middle wedge portion 105,relative to leading edge 110 and trailing edge 112, and leave at least aportion of airflow downstream of each of the lower and top uninterruptedsensor portions, 103 and 107, respectively, relative to leading edge 110and trailing edge 112, unaffected. Sensor body 102 is shown as anairfoil, however, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate thatthere are a variety of suitable sensor body shapes, for example atruncated airfoil shape.

As shown in FIG. 2, sensor body 102 also has an interior flow passage114 connected to an inlet 116 for fluid communication of fluid intointerior flow passage 114 and a plurality of outlets 118 for exhaustingfluid out from interior flow passage 114. Sensor body 102 includes atemperature sensor 120 disposed in interior flow passage 114. Some ofthe outlets 118 are downstream of wedge extension 104, relative toleading edge 110 and trailing edge 112. As indicated schematically bythe dashed line of FIG. 1, those skilled in the art will readilyappreciate that at high Mach numbers, e.g. above 0.55 Mach, downstreamof wedge extension 104, the low pressure region is farther aft on thesensor body 102 relative to respective forward low pressure regionsinboard and outboard of the wedge extension, such as those low pressureregions aft of lower and top uninterrupted sensor portions, 103 and 107,respectively. This develops a low pressure region proximate at least oneof the plurality of outlets 118, therein increasing airflow from inlet116, through interior flow passage 114, to outlets 118, as indicatedschematically by arrows in FIG. 2.

Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that at high Machnumbers, the compressibility effects can alter the desired flow patternthrough traditional sensors, resulting in potential reduction inresponse time, for example, if there is reduced flow bathing temperaturesensor 120. By moving the low pressure region farther aft on sensor body102, wedge extension 104 increases the pressure differential betweeninlet 116 and outlet 118 at high Mach numbers, e.g. 0.55 Mach or higher,and therein increases air flow over the temperature sensor 120, helpingto maintain the response time of temperature sensor 120.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, one of the plurality of outlets 118 is anelongated outlet 122 downstream of wedge extension 104. Those skilled inthe art will readily appreciate that the elongated outlet can take fulladvantage of the low pressure region created by the wedge extension 104,therein increasing the pressure differential and the airflow throughinterior flow passage 114. Those skilled in the art will readilyappreciate that sensor body can include a single outlet 118 or aplurality as is shown and described herein. It is contemplated thatthere are a variety of suitable shapes for outlets 118, such as,circular, elliptical, or oval.

While shown and described in the exemplary context of air flow, thoseskilled in the art will readily appreciate that temperature measurementsare exemplary only. Similar measurements can be made for any othersuitable fluid using the techniques described herein without departingfrom the scope of this disclosure.

The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as described aboveand shown in the drawings, provide for temperature sensors with superiorproperties, including improved time response at elevated Mach numbers,reduced damage to the engine due to ice ingestion and improved DHE,relative to traditional sensors. While the apparatus and methods of thesubject disclosure have been shown and described with reference topreferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciatethat changes and/or modifications may be made thereto without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the subject disclosure.

1. A temperature sensor comprising: a sensor body extending from asensor base to an opposed sensor tip along a longitudinal axis anddefining a leading edge and opposed trailing edge, wherein the sensorbody defines an interior flow passage with an inlet for fluidcommunication of fluid into the interior flow passage and an outlet forexhausting fluid out from the interior flow passage; and a wedgeextension defined on the sensor body between the sensor tip and thesensor base on the leading edge of the sensor body.
 2. A temperaturesensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the wedge extension is configuredto separate the leading edge into separate portions to reduce the sizeof ice accumulation on the sensor body.
 3. (canceled)
 4. A temperaturesensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the outlet includes a plurality ofoutlets defined in the sensor body.
 5. (canceled)
 6. A temperaturesensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the wedge extension is configuredto increase a pressure differential between the inlet and the outlet athigh Mach numbers.
 7. A temperature sensor as recited in claim 6,wherein high Mach numbers include Mach numbers 0.55 Mach or higher.
 8. Atemperature sensor as recited in claim 1, further comprising atemperature sensor disposed in the interior flow passage.
 9. Atemperature sensor comprising: an airfoil body extending from an airfoilbase to an opposed airfoil tip along a longitudinal axis, the airfoilbody including a wedge extension integral to the airfoil body definedbetween the airfoil tip and the airfoil base, the airfoil body and wedgeextension defining the leading edge of the airfoil body, wherein theairfoil body defines a trailing edge opposed to the leading edge and aninterior flow passage with an inlet for fluid communication of fluidinto the interior flow passage and an outlet for exhausting fluid outfrom the interior flow passage.
 10. A temperature sensor as recited inclaim 9, wherein the airfoil body has a lower uninterrupted airfoilportion, a middle wedge portion, and a top uninterrupted airfoilportion.
 11. (canceled)
 12. A temperature sensor as recited in claim 9,wherein the wedge extension is configured to separate the leading edgeinto separate portions to reduce the size of ice accumulation on thesensor body.
 13. A temperature sensor as recited in claim 9, wherein thewedge extension is configured to increase a pressure differentialbetween the inlet and the outlet at high Mach numbers.
 14. A temperaturesensor as recited in claim 13, wherein high Mach numbers include Machnumbers 0.55 Mach or higher.
 15. A temperature sensor as recited inclaim 9, further comprising a temperature sensor disposed in theinterior flow passage.
 16. The temperature sensor of claim 1, whereinthe wedge extension is integrally and monolithically formed with thesensor body.
 17. The temperature sensor of claim 9, wherein the wedgeextension is integrally and monolithically formed with the airfoil body.